The Worst of Me
by Skye
Summary: Realizing he's been rejected, Ulrich talks things out with Sissi.


**The Worst of Me**

Ulrich felt a sense of despair as he watched Yumi leave campus. Everything had finally come to an end. Well, they'd gotten rid of Xana a while ago, but the thing that Ulrich really found important, what he held closest to his heart, was over now, and it was as if it had never happened. Ulrich kept a stoic expression as he watched Yumi walk into the distance, until he couldn't even see her, only other passing traffic and pedestrians.

Ulrich barely cared as he noticed the other presence approach him. Sissi stood next to him now, mimicking him as she also stared out the gates of Kadic, hand on her chin. "I don't think she's coming back," Sissi finally spoke.

"No," Ulrich said, not even in the mood to exchange any kind of banter with her or anyone else, especially not Sissi, who always for some reason made him want to be mean. Anytime he was around her, they'd end up arguing, in a mix of sweet and bitter banter.

Sissi raised an eyebrow, then continued. "Since she's graduated now, she shouldn't stick around. I guess you'll still be seeing her though."

"No."

"Oh Ulrich dear, I know you better than you think I do. You'd follow your darling Yumi to the end of the earth."

"Would. I won't any more," Ulrich said. There was a moment of silence. "And no, I'm not dating you now, either."

Sissi snickered. "Dating me? I think that opportunity has long passed. You didn't expect me to wait for you forever, did you?"

"Yeah," Ulrich said. He laughed and ducked as Sissi attempted a playful slap. "I know you pretty well, too," he added.

"You think so, do you?"

"I know it. Self-absorbed, spoiled, and loud, that's Sissi."

"What about you? You're so egotistical, and completely insensitive, and even self-righteous on top of it all," Sissi scowled. She and Ulrich both folded their arms and stood back to back. Sissi peered over at him, then decided to say what she'd wandered over here to say. "I know how you're feeling now though."

"How could you know anything?" Ulrich asked, thinking his feeling were far too complex to be understood by anyone as shallow as Sissi.

"Maybe from all the times you've ignored me and rejected me," Sissi said.

Ulrich twitched. It was hardly the same. There was something between him and Yumi... Some kind of chemistry, an aligning of something to do with destiny...

Yeah, something that Yumi obviously didn't see anymore, if she ever had in the first place. Following Yumi around, still pursuing her when she said hurtful things like "I just want to forget about us being like that. We're just friends now, got it?" Then continuing until she finally when just before leaving she had said, "I never want to see you again." Yeah, he really had no room to ridicule Sissi for how she'd acted towards him in the past.

"Sorry," Ulrich muttered.

"Sorry? Nothing to be sorry about," Sissi said. "Except maybe how _sorry_ you look now, sitting around and sulking about some girl," she added.

"Whatever," Ulrich said. He really wished Sissi would go away, she was starting to get annoying. He considered just walking away, but she'd only follow him, and then he'd have to be around other people, too.

"Most relationships our age don't last, anyway."

"Uh huh." Maybe he could go to his dorm, but he didn't feel like dealing with Odd, who was bound to be there.

"And you deserve better."

Of course, what Sissi had always said to him. Over and over about how he deserved better, he deserved _her_. "Would you cut it out?" he finally shouted.

Sissi clenched her fists, fuming toward Ulrich. "No one else wanted to look at your face now, and this why! I come over here trying to cheer you up, and this is how you treat me? You're a jerk, Ulrich. A jerk," she finished confidently.

Ulrich took only a second to think of a comeback, about Sissi's shallowness and how he'd never liked her, and then furiously turned around to say it, but stopped when he saw Sissi's face. She didn't look at him now, she just glanced away, her face with a calm melancholy expression. Perhaps she was telling the truth about being over him and just wanting to cheer him up. Sissi looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. Ulrich sighed. This didn't have to be a fight, he realized. "Well, what can I say," he began, putting an arm around Sissi's shoulder. "You bring out the worst in me."

"As you do to me, Ulrich darling."

"Yup," Ulrich agreed. It was good to have a friend for these times. Bickering, exchanging words of hatred, he and Sissi were friends just the same. It's not just anyone that Ulrich could reveal his worst qualities to. "Let's go get lunch," he suggested, in a much better mood after fighting it out.


End file.
